Alfred J. Comeau House · Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have milder winter nights than West Palm Beach
High summer brings afternoon highs near 91°. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 97% of U.S. towns. February has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.7° rise. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from November to April, with highs of 75–84°.
A year in West Palm Beach at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about West Palm Beach’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with West Palm Beach’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in West Palm Beach feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Frost is rare
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at West Palm Beach International Airport, 5 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts West Palm Beach’s center in zone 10b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 38°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 59 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 149 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Loxahatchee Nwr, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in West Palm Beach
5% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. No month averages under 55°.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at West Palm Beach International Airport.
Living with West Palm Beach’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10b. Frost comes about 1 winter in 14, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, November and December. 59 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in West Palm Beach from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →West Palm Beach and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of West Palm Beach in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like West Palm Beach’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Palm Beach, FL | 56° | 91° | 59" | 0.0" |
| Galliano, LA | 46° | 90° | 63" | 0.0" |
| Texas City, TX | 47° | 90° | 54" | 0.1" |
| Gulf Shores, AL | 44° | 90° | 62" | 0.0" |
| Bay St. Louis, MS | 43° | 89° | 64" | 0.0" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in West Palm Beach averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 70% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods. In a city of 127,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How West Palm Beach compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with West Palm Beach’s place among Florida’s.
West Palm Beach weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at West Palm Beach’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Loxahatchee Nwr, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 75° | 56° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| February | 78° | 58° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 74° |
| March | 80° | 61° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 76° |
| April | 84° | 65° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| May | 87° | 69° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 75° – 80° |
| June | 90° | 73° | 8.4" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 80° – 84° |
| July | 91° | 74° | 6.1" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 81° – 85° |
| August | 91° | 75° | 8.0" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 | 81° – 84° |
| September | 89° | 74° | 8.1" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 80° – 83° |
| October | 86° | 70° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 76° – 81° |
| November | 81° | 64° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| December | 77° | 59° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 75° |
| Year | 84° | 66° | 59.0" | 0.0" | 149 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 57° to 75°. September is the most reliable, staying within 3°.
Where West Palm Beach’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at West Palm Beach’s center.
- Snow: Loxahatchee Nwr, FL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: West Palm Beach International Airport, 5 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about West Palm Beach’s climate
What is the weather like in West Palm Beach?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 56°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than all but 177 U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in West Palm Beach in winter?
January nights average 56°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.1 a year on average). In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 59°.
How much snow does West Palm Beach get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Loxahatchee Nwr, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in West Palm Beach?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 74°. About 74 days a year reach 90° (West Palm Beach International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in West Palm Beach?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 7% of winters at West Palm Beach International Airport, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is West Palm Beach in?
Zone 10b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 38°.
What is the best time of year to visit West Palm Beach?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is West Palm Beach getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 70% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in West Palm Beach.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.